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Princess Diana: a life in pictures

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It is 16 years since the death of Princess Diana today (31 August). She meant so many things to so many different people: a style icon, mother and devoted humanitarian. She worked tirelessly for charity raising vital funds and awareness of issues such as the campaign to ban landmines as well as extensive work with children's charities. Here Stylist looks back on the life of Diana, from her early childhood, through her royal years until her tragic death in August 1997.

Following an acrimonious custody battle, Diana's parents finalised divorce proceedings in 1969. Her mother remarried Peter Shand-Kydd soon after and moved away from the family to the remote Scottish island of Seil.

Diana later revealed that the experience left her with bitter memories of the period.

Here, pictured at the age of ten, Diana shows off a more fashionable side. Her sartorial choices and personal style would be one of the things that came to define her later in life, often championing the best of British designers.

Diana's work with children predated her public duties as a royal. After a brief stint at a Swiss finishing school, Diana returned to London and began work as a kindergarten teacher at the Young England School in Pimlico.

In this now iconic image of the princess (note: semi-see through skirt), photographers captured the young Diana Spencer on the cusp of her engagement.

On a rare occasion, Diana is pictured here with Camilla Shand (later Camilla Parker-Bowles) at Ludlow races in 1980.

Camilla had been romantically linked with Prince Charles throughout the 1970s, despite her marriage to Andrew Parker-Bowles in 1973. The year marked a period of change for the future king, with his sights now set upon the young Lady Diana Spencer.

After a year of courting, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer announced their engagement at Buckingham Palace on 24th February 1981.

The Prince told the press that he was "delighted and frankly amazed that Diana is prepared to take [him] on". The ring, an oval sapphire and diamond ring, was made by royal jewellers Garrard and cost a reported £28,000.

In their first public outing following the engagement, the young couple were entertained at a Royal Opera House benefit, held at London's Goldsmith Hall. She wore a black gown by Elizabeth and David Emanuel.

It was definitive moment in Diana's life, which underscored the public's appetite for all things 'Charles and Diana'.

The wedding dress, designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, boasted of a 25ft train and was constructed of taffeta and lace. It became the epitome of 80s bridal couture, with its exaggerated sleeves and skirt. All beading and sequins were hand-sewn and Diana wore a Spencer family tiara over her veil.

Although the permanent home of the dress is on the Althorp estate in Northamptonshire, it is currently part of an exhibition touring the world.

As the mother of the future king, Diana found every aspect of her family's life religiously documented in the press. This included William's first steps, which were taken in public and televised globally.

Always the trendsetter, Diana's choice of fashion was at times questionable. Dancing with Prince Charles at a charity gala in Melbourne, she caused a stir by wearing a diamond and emerald choker as a headband.

The piece, once belonging to Queen Mary, was a wedding gift from the Queen.

Keen to ensure that her sons did not suffer from the separation, Diana continued to devote her time and energy to Harry and William. In a playful mood, the Princess is seen here on a water flume with Prince Harry, at Thorpe Park.

Diana's social engagements increased the public's fascination with the Princess. Here pictured at the Serpentine Summer party in 1994, in a Christina Stambolian off-the-shoulder dress, Diana skillfully reinvented her public image.

In a candid interview with Martin Bashir in 1995, for the BBC's Panorama programme, Diana opened up about her marriage, royal duties and the future. The programme sparked media furore over the Princess' private life.

In 1997, Diana controversially visited Angola to highlight her call for an international ban on land mines. Through visiting amputees and walking through a minefield, the Princess used her profile to create a platform for wider debate on the subject.

Diana was reintroduced to Mother Teresa in 1997, when visiting missionaries in New York. The image of the two women walking hand-in-hand through the Bronx became deeply symbolic of Diana's firm commitment to humanitarian work.

During a trip to Lahore, Pakistan, Diana was reunited with her old friend Jemima Khan. Wearing a traditional salwar kameez, the Princess visited hospitals in the city, including a cancer hospital founded by Jemima's husband Imran.